The German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology - 10 years beyond: History (and stories) of successful cooperation
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The German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology 10 years beyond: History (and stories) of successful cooperation
Once you drink the waters of the Nile, you are destined to return. Herodotus (c. 486 to c. 430 BC.)
1 Contents Preface of Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research 4 The German-Egyptian Year of Science 2007: Pioneer of the International Years of Science 6 The development of German-Egyptian collaboration in science and research 7 Review: Key bilateral collaboration events prior to the Year of Science 8 Milestones of the German-Egyptian cooperation 10 The most important events during the joint Year of Science 12
2 Success stories of the German-Egyptian collaboration 14 German-Egyptian Research Fund (GERF) projects........................................................................................................ 14 Bank filtration for a safe drinking water supply in Egypt............................................................................................. 15 Increasing the quality of medicinal and aromatic plants............................................................................................. 18 Drought-tolerant cereals for sustainable agriculture................................................................................................... 20 Première for solar thermal refrigeration in Egypt......................................................................................................... 22 The A²L-Mobilius building and residential system: sustainable, affordable, scalable............................................ 24 Exchange and networking: The DAAD Cairo Office...................................................................................................... 26 IUSD: joint master‘s programme for sustainable urbanisation................................................................................... 29 Outlook 32 Additional links 34 Publishing details 37
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4
Preface
On celebrating the tenth anniversary of launching tions. GERF is one of the flagship successful projects
the ‘German Egyptian Year of Science and Technology representing STDF activities, which has been funded
2007’ a hindsight look to the past decade gives every around 70 Egyptian-German research projects since
good reason for high satisfaction, hence inspiring 2009 with German partners.
further ambitions for an even higher standard of Another component of this success is the cooperation
scientific cooperation between our two countries. agreement with the German Academic Exchange Ser-
vice (DAAD). DAAD has one of the largest cooperation
This cooperation has been always based on the solid projects with Egypt, where on yearly basis a consider-
platform of mutual respect, common desire of fulfilling able amount of post graduate Egyptian students travel
the agreements in good faith and finally the strong will under the auspices of our joint agreement to obtain
to broaden the scope of cooperation on both sides. their PhD from German universities.
At current time the total number of Egyptian stu- Through a variety of programmes and projects con-
dents sent to Germany on educational or academic cluded with DAAD, a considerable number of Egyptian
basis across all programs peaked between 1500 and students were enabled to acquire new knowledge and
2000 over the last 10 years. This number is the sum gain life experiences in Germany. These programmes
of various programs that deal with education and include the German-Egyptian Research Long-Term
scientific research with Germany. Scholarship Programme (GERLS) and the Programme
A considerable amount of the Egyptian students for German-Egyptian Scientific Projects (GESP).
offered to study in Germany are under the direct
supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and There also exist five Master programs concluded be-
Scientific Research (MOHESR), represented by the tween Egyptian and German universities in different
Egypt Bureau for Cultural Affairs in Berlin. multidisciplinary fields, all of substantial importance to
Egypt including:
In addition, the Science and Technology Development
Fund (STDF), an Egyptian arm to finance scientific • International Education Management, Helwan
research cooperation with German support, super- University and University of Education Ludwigsburg
vises many projects with educational component. • Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency,
The German-Egyptian Research Fund (GERF) aims to Cairo University and Kassel University
provide bilateral research cooperation between the • Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design (IUSD),
two countries in areas of mutual interest; the grants Ain-Shams University and Stuttgart University
are intended to give researchers – including young • Law and Economics, Cairo University and
scientists – an opportunity to address new areas of Hamburg University
scientific research. Research results generated in these • Urban Planning, Cairo University, Alexandria
projects are to be developed into concrete applica- University and Cottbus University.
5 Another pillar of Egyptian-German cooperation is the separate cooperation agreements between certain institutions in both countries. Just to name some, TU Berlin Campus at El Gouna on the Red Sea, exchange of students between Ulm University and German University in Cairo, and the recent opening of Arab German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) for an office in Cairo. The joint cooperation between Egypt and Germany has given the University staff and young researchers a real chance to participate in a scientific life, whether academically or practically, preparing them for later duties as professors and scientists in Egypt. Such kind of cooperation has created a network between Egyptian and German universities and scientists that deserves the highest extent of recognition and appreciation. Celebrating such success of the past provides us with the needed momentum to plan for our future, where I foresee it even more promising. Several projects are expected to take place very soon where cooperation will be enhanced on both horizontal and vertical basis (more new projects including an expected opening of a branch for a German University in Egypt, as well as deepen- ing the existing relationships in terms of programs and research projects). Prof. Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
6 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The German-Egyptian Year of Science 2007:
Pioneer of the International Years of Science
Since 2007, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has regularly organised international years of
research with important strategic partner countries as part of its Internationalisation Strategy – with countries with
which it already has close relations, but which offer even more potential. Egypt became the first partner country in
the “German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology 2007”, which was followed by Years of Science with Israel,
China, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and Turkey.
The aim of the International Years of Science is to particular, the collaboration during the Year of Science
strongly build on already existing collaboration in led to a clearer application focus and increased indus-
research and education and create broader public trial relevance of the bilateral projects. At the same
awareness of it, in particular to expand cooperation time, the inclusion of new university and non-univer-
between higher education institutions and research sity partners in Egypt also created a broader base for
institutions in both countries, to drive forward joint cooperation.
research and promote initial and continuing voca-
tional training. Here, the focus is on global and Far-reaching successes
social challenges. Today, as a fitting token of the 10th anniversary, it can
be seen just how effectively German-Egyptian col-
“Linking Scientific Masterminds” laboration has been strengthened by the joint Year of
The first International Year of Science with Egypt was a Science, in particular by the implementation of the
joint initiative between the BMBF, the German Academ- joint German-Egyptian Research Fund (GERF). This
ic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Egyptian Ministry brochure presents several outstanding GERF projects.
of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR). Also, during the 2007 Year of Science, DAAD schol-
It was launched in Cairo on 15 January 2007 under the arship and research funding programmes, and above
motto “Linking Scientific Masterminds”. The aim was all also joint study programmes such as the bilateral
to bring together great minds in order to start joint “Integrated Urbanism and Sustainable Design” (IUSD)
research projects and promote new scientific talent to master’s degree at universities such as the German
strengthen cooperation beyond the Year of Science. This University in Cairo (GUC) or the campus of the Tech-
brochure offers examples of just how successful this nische Universität Berlin in El Gouna, created excel-
motto has proven to be to date. lent structures for the future.
Research for a better future The fact that it has been possible, despite political
The themes on which the International Years of Sci- upheavals, to maintain and fund scientific exchange
ence focus are oriented both to the research agendas and to create or further develop structures, is a tribute
of both countries and to the bilateral agreements on to the German-Egyptian scientific community, their
scientific and technological collaboration (STC agree- strong will, their commitment and their flexibility.
ments). The focus is shifting increasingly onto future The plans for the future development of the bilateral
global topics (such as climate/energy, health/nutrition, cooperation in science and research are described in
mobility, security and communication), as well as the the Outlook section.
promotion of innovation, and with them, the inter-
play between politics, science, business and society.
Ultimately, the goal is to bring together people from
different regions who regard the global and social chal-
lenges as being an opportunity, and who work together
to research and implement possible solutions.
The German-Egyptian Science Year focused on mate-
rial sciences, water, renewables, biotechnology, health
research and the humanities and social sciences. In
THE DEVELOPMENT OF GERMAN-EGYPTIAN COLLABORATION IN SCIENCE AND RESEARCH 7
The development of German-Egyptian collaboration
in science and research
Germany and Egypt have been collaborating in science and research since the last century. Egypt is still one of
the most important partner countries for Germany in the Middle East, forming a bridge between Africa and the
Arab world.
The social and global challenges of today are at the most highly developed countries in the Middle East
centre of the joint research: health, nutrition, climate, and North-Africa region (MENA).
water, energy - and increasing capacity on site, as well
as innovation and the ability to work. These topics The key topic areas in Egyptian politics and research
are also firmly anchored in the Internationalisation include the secure supply of the population with
Strategy of the Federal Government and the Africa drinking water, food and energy, and the related
Strategy of the BMBF (2014-18; see box). disciplines such as the environment, health, security
and economic and social development. Furthermore,
Egypt is characterised by ecological and climatic ex- technical and applied natural and life sciences, and in
tremes, and by economic, social and cultural process- particular, information and communication technol-
es of change. Climate change, water shortages, as well ogies are being further expanded and systematically
as a decline in arable land as a result of urbanisation supported (see Egypt ITC 2030 http://www.mcit.gov.eg/
and desertification are presenting the country with ICT_Strategy). One declared goal of Egyptian policy is
enormous challenges. Since the 2007 Year of Science, the internationalisation of higher education and re-
German-Egyptian research teams have increasingly search. Germany was already an important, long-term
been working on solutions for the secure, sustainable partner before the joint Year of Science.
supply of drinking water, food, energy or urban devel-
opment to the rapidly growing population, Since 2011,
Germany has accompanied the political upheavals in
the Arab region in the form of a transformation part- Germany’s strategies for the internationalisation of
nership, in order to strengthen civil society and shape education, science and research
the social transformation process in a sustainable way.
No country can successfully face global challenges
Education and research play a key role here. The focus alone. Here is a brief overview of the goals of the
of the collaboration is therefore also the development Strategy of the Federal Government for the Inter-
of local research capacities, the establishment of excel- nationalisation of Education, Science and Research
lent research institutes and infrastructures in Egypt, (Internationalisation Strategy) and the Africa Strategy
improved access to scientific networks and the promo- of the BMBF.
tion of young scientific talent. The purpose is not only
to build bridges between Europe and the region, but
also to enable sustainable development to gain a better
foothold within the country itself.
Egypt has one of the longest traditions of higher
education in the world. The Al-Azhar University
was founded back in 988 by the Fatimids. Today, the
University of Cairo, which was founded in 1908, is
the largest and most well-known university in the
country, followed by the Universities of Ain Shams
and Alexandria. With around 50 state and private
universities overall, and 2.5 million or so students,
Egypt is now regarded as being one of the strongest
research bases and in terms of science, one of the
8 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The strategy of the German federal government The Africa Strategy of the BMBF (2014-18)
regarding the internationalisation of education, formulates the following goals:
science and research (2017) defines five goals that
provide a focus for action: • Overcoming global challenges through
joint effort.
• To maintain and increase the excellence of • Creating high-quality and sustainable,
the German science and research system at a scientific cooperation structures.
consistently high level. • Strengthening regional and continental
• To develop Germany’s strength in innovation on collaboration.
the international stage. • Strengthening innovative potential and
• To develop the international aspects of vocational developing markets.
education and training and qualifications. • Raising Germany‘s visibility in Africa as a key
• To involve emerging and developing countries partner in education and research.
more intensively as partners to shape the global
knowledge society.
source: https://www.bmbf.de/pub/Afrika_Strategie_dt.pdf, p. 13
• To intensify European and international
cooperation to overcome global challenges.
source: https://www.bmbf.de/de/internationalisierungsstrategie-
269.html
Review: Key bilateral collaboration events prior
to the Year of Science
The 10-year anniversary of the German-Egyptian Year In 1960, the Federal Republic of Germany and the
of Science presents a good opportunity for taking a United Arab Republic signed a cultural agreement
brief look back on many years of collaboration. Here designed to provide a framework for cultural and
are some key events. scientific exchange. At that time, topics ranged from
support in founding institutes in the partner country
and the funding of mobility through to recognition
Contacts between the two countries date back to the of academic qualifications. Since 1960, the DAAD
previous century: In 1873, the Deutsche Evangelische has been represented with a field office in Cairo, the
Oberschule opened in Cairo; today, it is the largest second-oldest DAAD field office worldwide. At that
German school abroad in Africa and the Middle East time, 16 Egyptian students travelled to Mainz for the
region. In 1907, the Kaiserlich Deutsche Institut für first time. Today, more than 1,700 Egyptians travel to
Ägyptische Altertumskunde, (the Imperial German German higher education institutions with support
Institute for Egyptian Antiquity Studies) began its from the DAAD, with over 450 Germans travelling to
work in Cairo; the Cairo division of the German Egypt (data from 2015).
Archaeological Institute (GAI) is still following the
traces of Egyptian history today. In 1951, the German- Starting in the 1970s, both countries signed several
Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce opened an governmental agreements on scientific and technologi-
office in Cairo, while in 1958 and 1959, the Goethe- cal collaboration (STC). The STC agreements with Egypt
Institut followed suit in Cairo and Alexandria. in 1979 and 1981, and additional individual and project© Prof. Dr. Ewald Schnug JKI (Julius Kühn Institut Braunschweig): Workshop in Goslar in frame of the German-Egyptian Research Fund
agreements from 1980 to 1985 still form the basis of The GUC is the largest of the binational universities
collaboration today. As early as 1974, on behalf of what outside Germany; while being in line with the German
was at that time the Federal Ministry for Research and mentor universities of Ulm, Stuttgart and Tübingen
Technology (BMFT), the International Bureau (IB) in academic terms, it is subject to Egyptian conditions
of the former Kernforschungsanstalt Jülich (KFA, or when it comes to administration, personnel and legal
Nuclear Research Institute; now the Forschungszen- matters. As a result of this structure, it acts as a media-
trum Jülich -FZJ) took over the management of STC tor and bridgehead between the German and Egyptian
with Egypt. Today, the BMBF has assigned the DLR educational, legal and cultural system. In January 2013,
Project Management Agency as the responsible insti- a branch of the GUC opened in Berlin.
tution.
Since the 1980s, the initial focus on energy research In 2007, the first BMBF International Year of Science
projects, and in particular on nuclear energy research, was organised as agreed between the BMBF and the
has increasingly shifted towards environmental MOHESR: the “German-Egyptian Year of Science and
research, materials sciences, passive and active solar Technology 2007”. The aim was above all to high-
building, the geosciences and regenerative energy light the breadth and potential of German-Egyptian
research. collaboration, as well as prospects for further scientific
cooperation, since the cooperation with Egypt became
The German University in Cairo (GUC) was established a model for collaboration with other countries in the
in 2001. It is one of the most successful projects to region. Additionally, the aim was to make a key contri-
be initiated as part of the “German higher education bution to dialogue with the Arab world, in which Egypt
institution study opportunities abroad” programme, plays a key role as a “gateway” between Africa and Asia.
with financial support from the BMBF and DAAD.
GUC founder Professor Ashraf Mansour, who himself You can find out what the joint Year of Science
was a DAAD scholarship student in Ulm from 1988 to achieved in the next chapter.
1992, designed the programme in the same mould as
the technical universities in Germany. Today, the GUC,
which began teaching in 2003, and which offers 71 pro-
grammes of study to more than 12,000 students, ranks
among the best private universities in the country. The
key subject areas offered are engineering, applied natural
sciences, pharmacy and technically-oriented manage-
ment. The language of tuition is English, while German
tuition is obligatory. Since 2006, scholarships have also
been awarded from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office.10 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Milestones of the German-Egyptian cooperation
11
1873 Founding of the German Evangelical Grammar School in Cairo, today the largest German school in a
foreign country in Africa and the Middle East region
1907 Founding of the German Archaeological Institute (GAI) in Cairo as the Imperial German Institute for
Egyptian Antiquity Studies)
1951 Founding of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Cairo
1956 Establishment of the Egyptian National Research Center (NRC)
1958 Opening of the Goethe-Institut in Cairo and Alexandria (1959)
1960 Cultural agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the United Arab Republic,
on 16 October 1960
1960 Opening of the field office of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Cairo
1980 Agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the government of the Arab Republic of Egypt
regarding collaboration in scientific research and technological development of 11 April 1979
1982 Agreement between the government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the government of the Arab
Republic of Egypt regarding collaboration in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy
2003 Founding of the German University Cairo
2007 German-Egyptian Year of Science and Technology
2007 Ministerial agreement on the establishment of the bilateral German Egyptian Research Fund (GERF) and
agreements with the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) on jointly
funded scholarship and research funding programmes with the DAAD
2008 Founding of the Egyptian Science and Technology Development Fund (STDF)
2008 First call for proposals within the scope of the German-Egyptian Research Fund (GERF)
2009 Opening of an office of the Orient-Institut Beirut (OIB) in Cairo
2010 Second GERF call for proposals
2011 Transformation partnership between Germany and Egypt is launched
2011 Founding of the DAAD Cairo Academy
2011 GERF interim call for proposals in the field of the humanities and social sciences
2011 The German Embassy initiates the Cairo Climate Talks (CCT)
2012 Third GERF call for proposals
2012 Founding of the German Science Centre (DWZ) in Cairo
2012 Establishment of the Berlin campus of the German University Cairo
2012 Opening of the El Gouna campus of the Technische Universität Berlin
2015 Fourth GERF call for proposals
2017 10th anniversary of the German-Egyptian Year of Science12 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The most important events during the joint
Year of Science
Joint research projects and more than 150 events brought the German-Egyptian scientific community together
during the Year of Science - and are still having an impact today. One example is the implementation of the joint
“German Egyptian Research Fund (GERF)” and scholarship programmes to promote young research talent.
During the “German-Egyptian Year of Science and Both sides finance the research fund to an equal de-
Technology 2007”, a broader basis was created for sci- gree, with up to one million euros per year respec-
entific cooperation through the involvement of new tively overall. Since 2009, Germany and Egypt have
university and non-university partners in Egypt, for funded over 50 joint projects in application-oriented
example through the implementation of joint funding and, to an increasing extent, in industry-relevant
and study programmes. research, through the GERF, with a total volume of
over ten million euros. A further 22 projects are also
The “German Egyptian Research Fund – GERF” being funded to a maximum level of 200,000 euros
The BMBF and the MOHESR founded the German from mid-2017. These bilateral projects from the
Egyptian Research Fund (GERF) in order to create a fourth GERF call for proposals comprise the focal
stable framework for the project ideas agreed during areas of nutrition safety and climate change, water,
the Year of Science. The research funding programme renewables, urban planning, traffic and transport
has been continually developed further since 2008 studies. This call is also being managed by the DLR-PT
and constitutes a sustainable basis for the priorities together with the Egyptian STDF.
and results of the Year of Science.
Junior research groups in particular from both coun- Short- and long-term scholarship programmes
tries are offered the opportunity through the joint promote exchange
funds to implement innovative, application-oriented, The most important results of the 2007 German-
industry-relevant research projects. The projects pre- Egyptian Year of Science included the agreements
sented in the following chapter provide an example with the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education
of just how well this has succeeded to date. A further and Scientific Research (MOHESR) on jointly funded
goal of the bilateral research fund is the support of sci- scholarship and research support programmes with
entific networks when applying for funding from the the German Academic Exchange Service, the DAAD.
EU Framework Programme HORIZON2020 or from Both the German Egyptian Research Short-Term
national funding programmes. Scholarship Program (GERSS) and German Egyptian
Research Long-Term Scholarship Program (GERLS)
Since the joint funding tool was implemented in 2008,
the BMBF and the Egyptian Science and Technology
Development Fund STDF have published a total of
four joint calls for proposals (2008, 2010, 2012, 2015) in
all subjects related to the fields prioritised in the Year
of Science – Biotechnology, Medicine, Material Scienc-
es, Water, Renewable Energies, Humanities and Social
Sciences – which have in the interim been supple-
mented by wide-ranging topics of common research
interest (see box). Against the background of the social
upheavals in Egypt since February 2011, an additional
interim announcement of open calls specifically for
issues relating to the humanities and social sciences
was published, with the aim of further improving bi-
lateral research cooperation in this field. However, due
to these upheavals, the response was relatively muted
and only one project was funded.THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS DURING THE JOINT YEAR OF SCIENCE 13
for young research talent have since then been ner institute. Here, special consideration is given to
co-funded by MOHESR. While the costs of GERSS the ongoing training and specialisation of young
are shared equally by the Egyptian and German research talent. The GE-SEED programme supported
sides (with funds from the Federal Foreign Office 66 projects from 2008 to 2015.
in the case of Germany), the Egyptian partner in
GERLS is responsible for providing 70% of the costs. The funds for implementing these programmes are
As a result, 223 GERSS scholars received support allocated to the DAAD by the BMBF. On the Egyptian
between 2008 and 2016. Thanks to GERLS, the side, the programme is funded by the STDF.
number of Egyptian doctoral candidates has more
than quadrupled. While just 18 doctoral scholar-
ships could be paid from German funds before
2008 the DAAD and the ministry have offered up
to 81 scholarships of this type since 2009/2010.
With investments totalling around 19 million Further links:
euros over eight years, it has already been possible
to cover 436 doctoral candidates through the fund- For more detailed information on funding opportuni-
ing programme. ties, visit the DAAD scholarship database:
https://www.daad.eg/de/stipendiendatenbank/
Mobility support for young research talent and on the website of the DAAD field office in Cairo:
Since the joint 2007 Year of Science, there has also https://www.daad.eg/en/
been a co-financed programme in the project area: the
German Egyptian Mobility Programme for Scientific Final report of the German-Egyptian Year of Science
Exchange and Excellence Development (GE-SEED). and Technology 2007:
The aim is to intensify cooperation between foreign www.bmbf.de/pubRD/german_egyptian_year_of
and German research groups who work together on _sience.pdf
a specific academic project during stays at the part-
Award ceremony of the GERLS scholarships 2016 in the presence of the German Ambassador Julius Georg Luy at the DAAD field office in Cairo14 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Success stories of the German-Egyptian collaboration
German-Egyptian Research Fund
(GERF) projects
Since 2009, Germany and Egypt have supported more Focal topics of GERF announcements
than 50 joint projects in application-oriented and of open calls to date
increasingly also industry-relevant research through the
German-Egyptian Research Fund (GERF). We present
you five of these projects here. GERF I - 2008: 18 projects funded
• Biotechnology and agricultural research, in parti-
cular the production of foodstuffs in a polluted
environment and with a view to climate change
• Energy savings and renewables, in particular wind
turbine technology
GERF II - 2010: 14 projects funded
• Water desalination
• Health research, including the agricultural
production of pharmaceutical substances from
plants (“pharming”)
• Climate and natural resources protection
management, in particular the “tolerance of
cultivated plants to stress from drought and
salt under field conditions”
GERF III - 2012: 19 projects funded
• Nutrition safety, climate change, water,
renewables, urban planning;
• Traffic and transport studies, humanities
and social studies
GERF IV - 2015: 22 projects funded
• Food production and food safety
• Management of water resources
• Renewable energy
• Environmental research
• Material sciences/nanotechnology: risk
assessment/impact on man and environment
• Robotics and mechatronics
• Information and communication technology (ICT)
• Transportation and urban planningKAPITEL 15
© HTWD: Sampling using a penetrometer on a canal
of bank filtration. The same is true in Egypt. From
Bank filtration for a safe drinking
2011 to 2013, you worked with Egyptian partners
water supply in Egypt as part of a GERF project to examine the opportu-
nities for use of bank filtration. Please tell us more
about the background to the project and the goals.
Find out here just how sustainably an application-
oriented research project can contribute to the provision
of low-cost, safe drinking water in Egypt in an inter- In times of strong clouding of the water in the Nile, or
view with project manager Prof. Thomas Grischek, who following the entry of pollutants due to insufficient
teaches water management at the Dresden University of wastewater purification, waste or negative impact, the
Applied Sciences (HTW Dresden). safe provision of drinking water cannot be guaranteed.
Also, due to the population growth in many cities in
Egypt, capacities needed to be expanded. Our goal
Professor Grischek, you have held a professorship therefore was and remains an increased use of bank
in water management at the HTW Dresden since filtration to obtain drinking water from the Nile and
2003, and support numerous partners abroad from Egypt‘s canals.
through applied research projects, with a strong use
What advantages does bank filtration offer in and
for Egypt?
With bank filtration, substances that cause clouding,
degradable and highly absorbable pollutants, as well as
pathogens and microorganisms, are already removed
in the subsoil. This preparation saves on costs for the
further preparation of drinking water, and increases
safety.
Is this method being successfully implemented
in Egypt?
A small number of bank filtrate basins on the Nile have
already been successfully in operation for several years,
while others have been closed again, since the systems
were incorrectly measured or installed, or there were
no preparatory measures in place for the removal of
© HCWW: Determination of the concentration of iron in the bank iron/manganese from the bank filtrate, which is usually
filtrate using a quick test, Embaba waterworks, Cairo, 17.11.2016 necessary.16 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
What are the preconditions for the efficient use of What was the most important event during your
bank filtration? project, and what emerged from it?
Thorough preliminary inspections with regard to the The scientifically founded assessment of the potential
location selected for the well, for the design of the sys- for bank filtration in Egypt. With the related publica-
tems and for further water treatment are essential. This tion (Ghodeif et al. 2016), we have taken the research
is underestimated. For this reason, we have conducted forward and at the same time created a basis for the
these inspections in an exemplary way in our project. water suppliers and ministries making decisions and
After the positive evaluation of the quality of the Nile for further work by the Egyptian research institutions.
water made during the project and of the hydrogeo- In the follow-up to the project and the GIZ further
logical site conditions in Upper Egypt, we have in par- training on bank filtration, bank filtration basins were
ticular taken steps to train engineers from the holding constructed in at least four locations in Egypt. Their
company for water and wastewater. Together with the successful operation and coupling with a suitable iron/
GIZ, we conducted training courses on bank filtration manganese removal system, and acceptance among the
in Luxor in 2014, with 63 participants, and in Cairo in population, will be decisive when it comes to building
2015 with 90 participants. further systems. We presented the advantages of bank
filtration to 150 guests in November 2016 as part of
the “Germany Days in Upper Egypt”, organised by the
German Embassy in Cairo, in a panel discussion of the
“Cairo Climate Talks”.
© HCWW : Depth-oriented sampling to determine the depth distribution of manganese in the bank filtrate on the Nile, Embaba waterworks,
Cairo, 17.11.2016SUCCESS STORIES OF THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN COLLABORATION 17
Very briefly: Bank filtration
Bank filtration has been used in Germany for
140 years, in order to obtain untreated water from
wells immediately next to rivers or lakes. Here, the
seepage of the surface water and natural filtra-
tion, adsorption and disintegration processes in
the groundwater supply line are used to remove
impurities in a natural way. This not only reduces
the cost of water treatment; when the location
is chosen careful, it is also a sustainable and safe
method that requires little maintenance.
© HTWD: Application for the GIZ further training on bank filtration,
Luxor 2014
© HTWD: Determining the water quality at a test well in Dishna, near Luxor, 26.02.2012
Overview: Bank filtration
GERF project: Bank filtration for low-cost water provision under arid conditions
Project manager: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Grischek, Department of Water Management,
Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTW Dresden)
Project partners: Suez Canal University and the state water supply company, the Holding Company
for Water & Wastewater (HCWW)
Funding volume: EUR 93,694 on the German side
Duration: 01.09.2011 - 30.11.2013
Website: https://www.htw-dresden.de/de/fakultaet-bauingenieurwesenarchitektur/bauingenieurwesen/
lehrgebiete/wasserwesen/forschung.html18 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Increasing the quality of medicinal
and aromatic plants
The concept for a German-Egyptian research project to
increase the level of active ingredients in medicinal and
aromatic plants emerged in 2007 during the joint Year of
Science - with far-reaching success for application-
oriented research and bilateral collaboration.
How is it that medicinal and aromatic plants grown
under Mediterranean conditions have a far stronger
aroma and a higher concentration of effective second-
ary substances than the same plants cultivated in more
moderate regions? Is it really the dry stress in arid areas
which plays a key part in the increased level of biosyn- © Institut für Pflanzenbiologie, AG Prof. Dr. Dirk Selmar
Samples that have been sent by the project partners at the Kafr
thesis of natural substances, thus increasing the active El-Sheikh University to Braunschweig for analysis as part of the
substance content? A highly interesting question, not GERF project (01DH14019). During the period of plant growth,
only for the science community but also for producers cigarette butts were distributed over the field in order to test the
extent to which plants can absorb the nicotine from the tobacco
of spices, medicines and perfumes. residues, which then occurs as contamination in the herbs and
medicinal plants. In order to prevent the absorbed nicotine from
evaporating, the dried samples were dispatched in tin foil.
To answer this project question, the research team from
the TU Braunschweig, together with the National Re-
search Center (NRC) in Egypt, conducted both studies Long-term cooperation and follow-up projects
in the greenhouse and field studies with parsley, sage “Thanks to our GERF project, we have not only been
and nasturtiums. They reduced the amount of water able to increase the quality of our medicinal and
given to the plants, or exposed them to moderate levels aromatic plants”, says Prof. Dr. Dirk Selmar from the
of stress by gasifying them with the phyto-hormone Institute of Applied Plant Biology at the TU Braun-
methyl jasmonate (MJ). In summary: When cultivating schweig. “Our research work has also led to a long-
medicinal and aromatic plants, the targeted use of dry term and solid cooperation between the medium-sized
stress really does improve quality. However, the plant partners involved, DRELUSO Pharmazeutika on the
species react differently, so that the respectively opti- German side and FRIDAL on the Egyptian side.” But
mised culture conditions and post-harvesting methods that’s not all. “Our successful collaboration formed
also need to be recorded. the basis for further Egyptian-German cooperation,
Overview: Increasing the active agent levels in plant-based medicinal products
GERF project: Increasing the active agent levels in plant medicinal products through the targeted application
of dry stress
Project manager: Prof. Dr. Dirk Selmar, Institute for Plant Biology, TU Braunschweig, d.selmar@tu-bs.de
Project partners: TU Braunschweig, Institute for Plant Biology, National Research Center (NRC), Egypt
Funding volume: EUR 107,412 on the German side
Duration: 01.08.20 11 – 30.06.2014
Website: https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/ifp/selmar/forschungKAPITEL 19 © Institut für Pflanzenbiologie, AG Prof. Dr. Dirk Selmar Cultivation of nasturtiums in Egypt under dry stress conditions as part of the GERF project (10/001). such as with the Agricultural Genetic Engineering the soil and is taken up by the cultivated plants”, Prof. Research Institute (AGERI), the National Research Selmar explains. One more issue is important for him: Centre (NRC) and the Kafr El-Sheikh University. the cultural exchange with Egypt. “It is an opportunity, Currently, within the scope of a further GERF project, almost an obligation, to promote dialogue with other we are investigating the causes of the frequent con- cultures!” taminations of many plant products with nicotine. This is also a very exciting research topic. We have been able to show that nicotine from cigarette butts enters © Institut für Pflanzenbiologie, AG Meeting within the scope of the German-Egyptian Year of Science 2007
20 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Drought-tolerant cereals for
sustainable agriculture
Cities and steppes are pushing back field cultivation
- not just in Egypt, but all over the world. However,
plants are unable to run away. They need to adapt, for
example to arid conditions. Just how well they can
succeed - thanks to intelligent research and cultiva-
tion - is explained by GERF project manager Professor
Dr. Peter Nick, Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute
of Technology (KIT).
Prof. Nick, you are pursuing important goals with
your institute and the GERF project. You are conduct- © Prof. Dr. Peter Nick, Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology (KIT): OPR7 (marked in green by GFP) in action together
ing research for the sustainable agriculture of the with the mitochondria marked in red.
future. What is the focus of your work?
Sustainable agriculture must protect resources and With the OPR7, a central switch was identified with
again take into greater consideration the resilience which the plant reacts to dry stress using one of
of cultivated plants against stress factors. Here, it is two strategies. One is to sacrifice older leaves in a
enough to recognise and use the problem solutions targeted way (survival, OPDA signal). The other is to
that have been developed during the course of evo- leave the resources in the older leaves and attempt
lution. Plants can very effectively defend themselves through cellular adaptation to cope with the dryness
against drought and saline soil, unless we have trained (adaptation, jasmonic acid signal).
them away from doing so through single-sided cultiva-
tion with high yields in mind. Our GERF project with What strategy is most helpful for agriculture, and
the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Institute (AGERI) how can OPR 7 be made popular for use?
aims to reactivate the resilience of cultivated plants
against dry conditions in order to make cereal farming From the human perspective, adaptation and not
in Egypt more sustainable. survival is required. In a drought, the farmer can
better cope with a reduction in the harvest than
With the GERF project, you have been able to with a harvest that is ready only months later, and at
identify genetic factors in rice which can be used different times for different plants. With OPR7, we
to cultivate improved resilience against dryness. now have the opportunity to suppress the survival
What does the Gen OPR7 have to offer? strategy through cultivation, and to keep the plants
Overview: The OPR7 gene
Project: The OPR7 gene - a key factor in cultivating dry-resilient cereals
Project manager: Prof. Dr. Peter Nick, Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), peter.nick@kit.edu
Partners: Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), Egypt
Funding volume: EUR 99,600 on the German side
Duration: 01.08.2014 - 31.07.2016
Website: http://www.botanik.kit.edu/botzell/364.phpKAPITEL 21 © Prof. Dr. Peter Nick, Botanical Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): Rice in front of the pyramids of Gizeh in an adaptive mode for as long as possible, so that a harvest is produced (“Yield under stress”, currently a key cultivation goal). What long-term effects have you wanted and been able to achieve? Now we even aim to look for successful promoters of ORP7 in old local strains of rice or even in wild rice strains, which are able to trigger a fast, strong activation of OPR7. These can then be classically crossed with a locally relevant rice type (referred to below as the target type). After around 5-7 rounds, a “near-isogenic line” is created, where almost all genetic variants from the original target type are contained, but where the OPR7 promoter is present in the effective variant. This method is known as “marker-assisted selection” or “smart breeding”. This has nothing to do with genetic technology - only natural sexuality is used, and no transformation. We are interested in reactivating the adaptability of the old, robust local strains. Through our research, we are also pursuing a long- term political goal. We are showing by example that genetic diversity among cultivated plants (wild plant relatives, old local strains) is a human asset that is worth protecting. Only if we uphold this diversity will we also be able to make use of it!
22 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Première for solar thermal
refrigeration in Egypt
This project was launched in 2012 as part of a GERF
project and was developed, designed and assembled
as part of a group project at the Fraunhofer Institute
for Environmental Safety and Energy Technology
(UMSICHT) and the Mechanical Engineering Depart-
ment /Supply Technology at Assiut University: the first
solar thermally-driven refrigeration plant in Egypt.
The North African heat, densely populated urban
centres, a high rate of population growth... Egypt’s
need for air conditioning in private, public and com-
mercial buildings is growing just as quickly as the power © Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Evaporation back cooler for removing waste
heat from the refrigeration process
consumption that it entails. Standard, electrically
driven cooling aggregates and refrigeration machines
consume too much power (or other fossil fuels that Together with students and young scientists from the
need to be imported) and overburden power stations mechanical engineering/supply technology depart-
and distribution networks. ment, Fraunhofer UMSICHT developed such a system
in order to cool a seminar room. A compact 5 kW ad-
Solar refrigeration is feasible sorption refrigeration machine, produced in Germany,
“The only future-oriented option are refrigeration was used, while in the summer of 2012, the system
processes operated using regenerative energy sources, was put into operation. Today, it is still monitored and
with solar energy, which is available at high levels”, evaluated using a detailed monitoring system.
explains project manager Dipl.-Ing. Peter Schwerdt
from Fraunhofer UMSICHT. “That’s why it was our aim, “Our know-how in the field of refrigeration tech-
together with Assiut University, to develop and build nology and renewables combined very successfully
an absorption refrigeration system driven using solar with the solid scientific basis and knowledge of local
collectors with hot water. We wanted to show that solar conditions on the Egyptian side”, says Schwerdt. “Our
refrigeration is feasible and works”. And they succeeded project results were the subject of several bachelor and
in doing so. master theses and one dissertation, and were presented
Overview: Solar-driven adsorption refrigeration
GERF project: Solar-driven adsorption refrigeration for air conditioning in buildings
Project manager: Dipl.-Ing. Peter Schwerdt, Fraunhofer Institute for Environment, Safety and Energy Technology
(UMSICHT), peter.schwerdt@umsicht.fraunhofer.de
Project partners: Fraunhofer Institute for Environment, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT)
Assiut University, Faculty of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Funding volume: EUR 95,000 on the German side
Duration: May 2009 - June 2012
Website: https://www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/umsicht/de/dokumente/energie/
solare-kuehlung.pdfKAPITEL 23
© Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Solar collectors supply the hot water to drive the refrigeration machine
at conferences in Egypt and Germany, and even in a planned by local suppliers and built and maintained
TV documentary for the Arab region on behalf of the by trained installers. Several high-quality core compo-
Federal Foreign Office”. nents such as refrigeration machines, high-efficiency
pumps and controls can be purchased from Europe or
Valuable reference project produced later in the country with a licence. For this
“In order to generate cold, the solar collectors widely reason, our project is a valuable reference project for
used in Egypt to prepare hot water can, as our project our Egyptian partner, the suppliers involved and the
has shown, be used to provide an excess of solar heat, installers who put it into practice”.
particularly during the summer”, explains Schwerdt.
“In principle, the technology is simple. It can be
© Fraunhofer UMSICHT, The project team on the roof of the “Heat Lab” at Assiut University24 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
© W. Nadim, Wherever you look, you’ll find informal residential and workshop buildings in Egypt that don’t abide by the law.
The A²L-Mobilius building and Egypt which can be integrated into the individual living
residential system: sustainable, environment.
affordable, scalable What does such a system look like?
As part of the A²L Mobilius project, the Technical Sustainable, affordable, scalable. The system consists
University of Munich (TUM) and the German Univer- of adaptable modules that are tailored to each other.
sity Cairo (GUC) developed a tailor-made building and The core is formed by a hi-tech unit with the most
residential system for Cairo’s informal settlements. important technical features of a residential building,
We talked to Dr. Thomas Linner at the Chair of Build- the so-called “DPU” (decentralised processing unit).
ing realization and Robotics (BR2) at the Technical The DPU contains three central subsystems, a system
University of Munich (TUM) about what constitutes for producing energy, a subsystem for mobility (such
this system and what makes it stand out. as a docking station for innovative, electro-based
mini-vehicles) and a subsystem for work-life balance
(such as a mini production unit or a mini home office).
Dr. Linner, what goals are you pursuing with the A²L This unit, in a similar way to a prefabricated house, is
Mobilius project? incorporated into a building system that also needs
to be generated (A²BS: Affordable Adaptable Building
The need for living space in Egypt is huge. Our project System). This in turn is planned in such a way that it
aims to develop an innovative approach to urban plan- can be produced at a low cost on site and is compati-
ning, together with the users, which brings together the ble with the local residential structures (e.g. “informal
urban cycle of living space, work and mobility. Together housing”). In this way, the entire system can grow into
with our Egyptian partner GUC, we developed a build- existing structures, replace them or form the core of
ing and residential system for informal settlements in new residential units.
Overview: A²L Mobilius project
GERF project: A²L Mobilius project
Project manager: Dr.-Ing. Thomas Linner, email: thomas.linner@br2.ar.tum.de
Project partners: Technical University of Munich (TUM), Chair of Building Realization and Robotics
German University in Cairo (GUC), Architecture and Urban Design Program
Funding volume: EUR 72,874.80 on the German side
Duration: 01/02/2015 - 31/07/2017
Website: www.br2.ar.tum.deSUCCESS STORIES OF THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN COLLABORATION 25
What have you achieved to date?
We have detailed our concept together with the
residents living in the area. During surveys and
workshops, we discovered what they felt was impor-
tant: waste recycling, energy generation, the supply of
food and the opportunity to work in the area where
they lived. Now we face the challenge of adapting the
technological support to the required low-tech and
low-cost level in order to gain acceptance. Funding
and business models for the planned renewal must
also be taken into account in all cases, which requires a
detailed stakeholder analysis
What is the special feature of your cooperation?
When we join forces, we can transform social aspects
into technical solutions. We will use our expertise,
experience in technology and the TUM research centre
to introduce a completely new social-technological
approach into urban planning. We can also make use
of our international contacts. Our partner, the GUC,
is strongly involved in the urban planning, which
makes it easier to access the necessary information and
the residents. Also, the GUC has contacts among the
large Egyptian industrial associations. Our project is
also making a major contribution towards enriching
research and teaching with real-life case studies, and
© W. Pan, The integration of DPU subsystems to form a DPU nucleus;
integration of the DPU nucleus into the A²BS; integration of the A²BS supporting young scientists.
into the residential infrastructure
© A²L-Mobilius-project team: The A²L Mobilius project team (from left to right): Prof. T. Bock (German project manager, TUM), Dr.-Ing. T. Linner
(colleague, TUM), Prof. W. Nadim (Egyptian project manager) and M. Sc. M. Helal (academic assistant, TUM).26 THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN YEAR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Exchange and networking: The
DAAD Cairo Office
Since 1960, the German Academic Exchange Service
(DAAD) has been represented with a field office in
Cairo, the second-oldest DAAD field office worldwide.
The exchange began in 1960 with a trip to Germany,
when 16 Egyptian students travelled to Mainz; today,
more than 1,700 Egyptians travel to German higher ed-
Dr. Roman Luckscheiter,
ucation institutions with support from the DAAD, with Director of the DAAD Cairo
over 450 Germans travelling to Egypt (data: 2015). We Office since September 2014
spoke to Dr. Roman Luckscheiter, Director of the DAAD
Cairo Office since September 2014, about the most
important milestones of joint internationalisation. not only comprise the perspectives of both cultures,
but above all also deliver practical examples. With the
German University Cairo and the campus of the TU
Dr. Luckscheiter, in 2015, the DAAD Cairo Office Berlin in El Gouna, Egypt also has two major transna-
celebrated its 55th birthday. What in your view tional education projects which are in great demand.
were the most important milestones? Through the transformation partnerships, we have also
been able to initiate a large number of cooperative pro-
Since 1960, not only has the population in Egypt trebled, jects, which have opened up new prospects for young
but our programme has also grown. It began with schol- researchers in particular. Overall, there are currently
arships to Germany, followed by bilateral projects. Today, 58 cooperative projects between German and Egyptian
we also have a base in the field of further education and higher education institutions!
marketing. A key milestone was the German-Egyptian
Year of Science 2007, in which several co-financed How do you intend to expand German-Egyptian
programmes were agreed, including a long-term schol- collaboration in the coming years, and what
arship programme, via which the DAAD together with contribution could “your” alumni make to
the Egyptian government is able to support up to eighty German-Egyptian collaboration as pioneers?
early-career researchers for a doctoral visit to Germany
- also as representatives of a globally-thinking spirit that With the German Science Centre, which was funded by
is interested in dialogue, which develops to the benefit the Federal Foreign Office from 2012 to 2016, we have
of both countries beyond the political sphere. With the been able to help make the potential for innovation
transformation partnerships made possible by the estab- from German-Egyptian collaboration highly visible,
lishment of the DAAD Cairo Academy and the founding and in doing so, also create lasting bridges between
of the German Science Centre, scientific exchange inten- science and business. Together with the liaison offices
sified further after 2011. of German science institutions - the Freie Universität
Berlin, TU Berlin, Technical University of Munich
During recent decades, project funding has become (TUM), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Fraunhofer, the
a key driver of German-Egyptian cooperation, Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) and the Ori-
from summer schools through to bilateral study ent-Institut Beirut are present on site – we as the DAAD
programmes and major projects. Can you give us a field office are working towards bringing together the
few examples of these? numerous cooperative projects and contacts which are
distributed throughout the country, above all by our
Particularly visible examples are of course the thirteen extensive alumni network – to create specialist clus-
bilateral masters programmes currently running, ters. Here, we can also create interfaces to the German
which range from education management, urban plan- Egyptian Research Fund projects. Following the suc-
ning and archaeology through to medicine, engineering cessful establishment of the Egyptian German Water
and German as a foreign language, and whose curricula Cluster, we aim to focus next on the area of agriculturalSUCCESS STORIES OF THE GERMAN-EGYPTIAN COLLABORATION 27 sciences, energy and health - always assuming the necessary political support on both sides that we have enjoyed to date. Naturally, we also want to bring more German scientists into the country again. German science is known and admired for its interdisciplinary, application-oriented, critical teaching and research. We want to do justice to this – with our classic support methods, but also as a forum for exchange and with the continuous further development of our portfolio. DAAD Cairo Academy (DCA) The DAAD Cairo Academy (DCA) was established in 2011 to bring the wide range of training activities of the DAAD Cairo Office under one roof, and to professionalise and restructure them. The DCA has since supported Egyptian universities and research institutions in their further education measures, as well as in strengthening international cooperation pro- jects. The DCA modules increase the competitiveness of Egyptian researchers when it comes to submitting international tenders, as well as improving the quality of teaching and research here. The DCA modules cover a wide range of different areas, such as the Proposal Writing Workshops on scientific work through to administration and teaching in higher educa- tion and soft skills and German studies modules. The DCA also offers training units for the large DAAD alumni network in Egypt, as well as intercultural preparation events for funded German and Egyptian scientists. © DAAD/Nour El Refaie, Participants of a DCA module
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